I am standing in front of a stranger’s door; a dog is barking in the front room. I take a deep breath and wait for the shape of someone to appear behind the frosted glass. This is my first time canvassing ahead of the referendum being held in Ireland on 25 May. The Irish electorate will vote on whether or not to repeal Article 40.3.3 of our constitution – otherwise known as the eighth amendment. It gives equal right to life to a pregnant mother and her unborn foetus, whether it is a week-old embryo or approaching the 23-week viability mark, making them physically – and legally – umbilical.

Standing at this door, like most of the ones I visit tonight, the occupant will be voting Yes to changing the law. The only hard No is from a woman who says abortion is murder. Even if the mother’s life is in danger, I ask? “God is good. He’ll decide,” she replies. I thank her for her time.

To be a woman in Ireland right now is to feel afraid. The historical cloud of brutal institutions for unmarried mothers, the Mother and Baby homes and the Magdalene laundries, hovers in living memory. These were institutions that traded in the abjection of women, enforced by the dual patriarchy of church and state. That controlling mindset lingers when it comes to abortion and reproductive health. Our country does not see us as individuals.

Abortion in Ireland is illegal and punishable with a 14-year jail term. Women have been denied terminations on the grounds of rape, suicidal feelings, fatal foetal abnormality, incest, sepsis and cancer treatment. A small percentage of abortions are carried out, but only if the woman is deemed to be in immediate danger of death. As the referendum draws nearer, women start to share their stories; many are manning stalls or organising fundraisers. Every one is preoccupied and weary. Dublin feels brittle and on edge. The referendum is not far from every waking thought.

“Why we need to finally legalise abortion in Ireland”